How to Cite an eBook or Bible in an Academic Paper

A common misunderstanding about electronic resources is that they cannot be used in an academic setting due to lack of page numbers. In fact, MLA, APA, and Chicago all include instruction on how to provide citations for ebooks. The below information has been fact-checked, although we recommend that you speak with your library, professor, or institution’s plagiarism council to confirm their specific rules and preferences.

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Finding Resource Information in the App

To find the information you need to make a citation in the Olive Tree Bible App, simply go to your Library and either long-press the cover or tap the three dots (depending on your Library View). Go to “View Resource Info” and it’s all right there. Sometimes, you can also find relevant information at the very beginning or end of the book or by searching for “copyright” in the book.

For Windows and Mac, right-click the title in your library and click “View Resource Info“.

MLA (8th Edition)

There are many necessary elements to an MLA citation, and it’s your task to piece them together. The general order is:

Author. "Title." Title of container (self-contained if book), Location (Pages, Paragraphs and URL, DOI or Permalink). Version, Number, Publisher, Publication Date, Date of Access (if applicable).

No Page Numbers? No Problem!

According to the MLA Handbook, “When a source has no page numbers or any other kind of part number, no number should be given in a parenthetical citation. Do not count unnumbered paragraphs or other parts”. Source

“When citing an e-book in your text, avoid using device-specific numbering systems. In this case, use the chapter number instead”.

Any title you access on the Olive Tree Bible App is classified as an e-book from an e-reader platform. For e-books, MLA requires you to “use the ‘Version’ element to specify that the work you are citing is an e-book—that is, a book that lacks a URL and that you use software to read on a personal device or computer.” Source

Works Cited	Chavalas, Mark W., et al. IVP Bible Background Commentary Old Testament, e-book, InterVarsity Press, 2000. Olive Tree Enhanced Strong’s Dictionary, e-book, Olive Tree Bible Software, Inc, 2020.
In-text Citation	(Author’s Last Name (et al. if 3+ authors) chapter/heading identifier) (Chavalas et al. Job 9:2) (Olive Tree Enhanced Strong’s Dictionary h0157)

If neither the Resource Info nor the text give you the year of publication, be sure to include the date of access.

The Bible

Bibles cited from the app must also identify the translation if it is not mentioned in the text. Source

Works Cited	The Bible. English Standard Version, e-book, Crossway Bibles, 2016. The Bible. New International Version, www.olivetree.com, Accessed 20 August 2021. ESV Strong’s Bible, e-book, Crossway Bibles, 2001. Stern, David H. Complete Jewish Bible, e-book, Messianic Jewish Publishers & Resources, 2016.
In-text Citation	(English Standard Version, Jer. 29.11) (Complete Jewish Bible, Mal’akhi 1:1-5)

“You do not need to provide a separate works-cited-list entry for each hymn, chapter, or surah cited if there are several and they all come from the same general website, unless readers cannot easily find their way from that central place.” Source

If the source carries a notation indicating that it is a version of a work released in more than one form, identify the version in your entry.

    The Bible. English Standard Version, e-book, Crossway Bibles, 2016

“In the body of your text, general references to scriptural works like the Bible, Talmud, and Koran should not be italicized unless you refer to a specific published edition.” Source

    The first part of the Christian Bible is known as the Old Testament.

    The 2016 Complete Jewish Bible contains book introductions.

Further Reading on MLA Style

• Purdue OWL: MLA Works Cited: Electronic Sources (Web Publications)
• Purdue OWL: MLA Works Cited Page: Books
• Columbia College: MLA Citation Guide (8th Edition): Books, eBooks & Pamphlets

Chicago

Chicago and its derivative styles like Turabian and SBL are common in various fields of study, including Theology and Biblical Studies. Read a full guide, including sample papers, from the Purdue OWL.

Notes & Bibliography Style

“In this system, sources are cited in numbered footnotes or endnotes. Each note corresponds to a raised (superscript) number in the text. Sources are also usually listed in a separate bibliography. This system is very flexible and can easily accommodate a wide variety of sources.” Source

“For books consulted online, include a URL or the name of the database. For other types of e-books, name the format. If no fixed page numbers are available, cite a section title or a chapter or other number in the notes.” Source

NOTES

First, Last, Title (City: Publisher, Year), Chapter/Section, Format.
     1. Olive Tree Enhanced Strong's Dictionary (Olive Tree Bible Software, Inc., 2020), h0157, e-book.
     2. Mark W. Chavalas, Victor H. Matthews, and John H. Walton, IVP Bible Background Commentary Old Testament (Downers Grove: InterVarsity Press, 2000), Job 9:2, e-book.
     3. James M. King, Sessions with Isaiah: What to Do When the World Caves In. (Macon: Smyth & Helwys, 2017), Session 2, e-book.

SHORTENED NOTES

Last name, Title, Chapter/Section.
     4. Olive Tree Enhanced Strong's Dictionary, h0157.
     5. Chavalas, Matthews and Walton, IVP Bible Background Commentary Old Testament, Job 9:2.
     6. King, Sessions with Isaiah: What to Do When the World Caves In, Session 2.

BIBLIOGRAPHY ENTRIES (IN ALPHABETICAL ORDER)

Last, First. Title. City: Publisher, Year. Format.
     Chavalas, Mark W., Victor H. Matthews, and John H. Walton. IVP Bible Background Commentary Old Testament. Downers Grove: InterVarsity Press, 2000. e-book.
     King, James M. Sessions with Isaiah: What to Do When the World Caves In. Macon: Smyth & Helwys, 2017. E-book.
     Olive Tree Enhanced Strong's Dictionary. Olive Tree Bible Software, Inc., 2020. E-book.

Sources for above examples: Chicago Turabian

Author-Date Style

“In this system, sources are briefly cited in the text, usually in parentheses, by author’s last name and year of publication. Each citation in the text matches up with an entry in a reference list, where full bibliographic information is provided.” Source

“For books consulted online, include a URL or the name of the database in the reference list entry. For other types of e-books, name the format. If no fixed page numbers are available, cite a section title or a chapter or other number in the text.” Source

REFERENCE LIST ENTRIES (IN ALPHABETICAL ORDER)

Last, First. Title. City: Publisher, Year. Format.
     Chavalas, Mark W., Victor H. Matthews, and John H. Walton. 2000. IVP Bible Background Commentary Old Testament. Downers Grove: InterVarsity Press. e-book.
     King, James M. 2017. Sessions with Isaiah: What to Do When the World Caves In. Macon: Smyth & Helwys. E-book.
     Olive Tree Enhanced Strong's Dictionary. 2020. Olive Tree Bible Software, Inc. E-book.

IN-TEXT CITATIONS

(Last name Year, Chapter/Section)
     4. Olive Tree Enhanced Strong's Dictionary 2020, h0157.
     5. Chavalas, Matthews, and Walton 2000, Job 9:2.
     6. King 2017, Session 2.

Sources for above examples: Chicago Turabian

The Bible

“When Referring to whole chapters or books of the Bible in the text, spell out the names of the book; do not italicize or underline them.” Source

When citing the Bible, there is an approved list of abbreviations for books, sections, and versions of the Bible. However you do it, be consistent! See here

The first time you cite a version, make sure to spell it out or abbreviate it without punctuation.

CHICAGO Source

PARENTHETICAL REFERENCE
(Reference Translation)
     (1 Jn 1:9 English Standard Version)

FOOTNOTE OR ENDNOTE
     1. 1 Jn 1:9 ESV
     2. Gen. 3:2

Further Reading on Chicago/Turabian Style

• Chicago Manual of Style Home Page
• Turabian Style Home Page
• Purdue OWL: Chicago Manual of Style: 17th Edition
• Society of Biblical Literature Handbook of Style Homepage

APA

The American Psychological Association tends to be used in a more scientific background, although it can be found in the writings from many disciplines. For e-books, the APA requires you to “Use the same formats for both print books and ebooks. For ebooks, the format, platform, or device (e.g., Kindle) is not included in the reference.” Source

While this mostly means that you can carry on citing books as you always do, there are a couple of things to note (Source):

• Don’t include the format (e-book) or app name (Bible Study by Olive Tree).
• Don’t include publisher location.
• Include any edition information in parentheses after the title, without italics.
• You should distinguish between the eBook or audiobook and the print version if the content is different or abridged Source

REFERENCES

Author. (Year). Title. Publisher.
     Chavalas, M. W., Matthews, V. H. & Walton, J. H. (2000). IVP Bible Background Commentary Old Testament. InterVarsity Press.
     Olive Tree Enhanced Strong's Dictionary (2020). Olive Tree Bible Software, Inc.
     King, J. M. (2017). Sessions with Isaiah: What to Do When the World Caves In. Smyth & Helwys.

PARENTHETICAL CITATIONS

(Last name, Year).
     (Chavalas, et al., 2000)
     (Olive Tree Enhanced Strong's Dictionary, 2020)
     (King, 2017)

Religious Works

The Bible is typically treated as a book with no author, although many titles (such as the Complete Jewish Bible and The Message) do indeed have a head editor or translator. When citing religious works in your references, be sure to include both the year of the current publication and of the original publication (see below examples). Source

Title of Religious Work. (Year). Publisher. (Original work published xxxx)
     English Standard Version. (2016). Crossway. (Original work published 2001)

Parenthetical Citation: After the death of Lazarus, "Jesus wept" (English Standard Version, 2001/2016, John 11:35).

Further Reading on APA Style

• American Psychological Association home page

Further Reading

• Purdue OWL: Research and Citation Resources. Click “Citation Chart” to compare formats

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Michael Potter worked as a writing assistant for two years at Life Pacific University’s Academic Resource Center. This article has been thoroughly edited and vetted by multiple professors and professionals. If you believe any of the above information to be incorrect or unclear, please (gently) let us know in the comments! We cannot guarantee immediate assistance with citations, although the posted sources should be of some help.

DISCLAIMER:
Regardless of the official rules, Olive Tree Bible Software cannot guarantee your professor, academic advisor, or plagiarism board will accept the above citations. It’s always best to confirm any citation-related guidelines with your professor or institution.